Elf DVDWhen I first saw the previews for “Elf”, the 2003 movie starring Will Ferrell, James Caan and Ed Asner, I was skeptical. A movie about a full-size man being adopted by elves and then leaving the North Pole to find his family just seemed like an idea doomed to failure. Even though the movie trailer looked good, I still suspected it was going to be one of those movies where the only really funny sections of the film were the ones they used in the trailer.

So I sat back and waited for the movie to be released on DVD so I wouldn’t have to waste my hard-earned dollars on overpriced theaters tickets. I fully anticipated that this would be a mediocre movie that my kids would love it and I would hate it. I was wrong. Very wrong. This is now one of my favorite Christmas movies. Only a true Scrooge could make it through this movie without laughing out loud. Will Ferrell is brilliant as Buddy the Elf.

Amazon says, “Elf is genuinely good. Not just Saturday Night Live-movie good, when the movie has some funny bits but is basically an insult to humanity; Elf is a smartly written, skillfully directed, and deftly acted story of a human being adopted by Christmas elves who returns to the human world to find his father. And because the writing, directing, and acting are all genuinely good, Elf is also genuinely funny. Will Ferrell, as Buddy the adopted elf, is hysterically sincere. James Caan, as his rediscovered father, executes his surly dumbfoundedness with perfect aplomb. Zooey Deschanel, as a department store worker with whom Buddy falls in love, is adorably sardonic. Director Jon Favreau (Swingers) shepherds the movie through all the obligatory Christmas cliches and focuses on material that’s sometimes subtle and consistently surprising. Frankly, Elf feels miraculous.”

Yep, I agree. If you haven’t seen this movie, go rent it, download it or buy the Elf DVD.

The movie is every bit as funny as this trailer makes it out to be: